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Car-Free Crossing

Around the world, pedestrian bridges are becoming popular features of the urban landscape, and are frequently hailed as signature architectural landmarks in cities with the vision and wisdom to make these kinds of investments - London's Millennium Bridge, or the Pont des Arts in Paris, or the amazing Henderson Wave Bridge in Singapore. Closer to home we have the Liberty Bridge in Greenville, SC, the dramatic Sundial Bridge in Redding, CA and the Esplanade Riel in Winnipeg. Each of these bridges has helped transform its community.

These cities have plotted a bold course. They are saying pedestrians matter. And confirming urban activist Jane Jacobs's view, that to understand your city you have to get out and walk. Vancouver claims to have the best quality of life in the world. Yet we quibble about peak-time loads.

Development on both sides of False Creek means pedestrian and bicycle traffic will continue to grow as adjacent neighbourhoods become more densely populated. And so will the need for facilities that help make it easier to get around the city on foot - an essential but often forgotten piece of what makes for a great city. The Burrard Bridge bike lane provoked a debate about the broader question of future transportation links across False Creek, stimulating discussion around the design and form, as well as the best location, for such a crossing.

But what has been lacking from the public debate about crossings for False Creek is the public.

Think City wants to open up the discussion to Vancouver's citizens. We are proposing a design competition that invites all members of the public to bring forward their ideas for a car-free crossing to connect downtown with the south shore of False Creek.

And we don't believe that bridges are the only solutions. That's why it's a car-free crossing. What other options are there? Where should it go?

Please show your support and ideas for a car-free crossing here. Let the best idea win.